Washing machine



July 20, '1965 H. H. COBB 3,195,327

`. WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 50, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. //2 4 VIIIIIII/lllllllI/IIL INVENT OR Horace H. Cobb ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,195,327 WASHNG NACHENE y Horace H. Cobh, 612 Raleigh St., rlando, Fia. Filed Dec. Si), 1963, Ser. No. 84,3% l Ciaiins. (Cl. 6S-12) This invention relates to a washing or cleaning machine of the type usually used for Washing or dry cleaning clothes or other fabric materials and has for an object to provide a machine of this nature wherein both the conventional gear shift transmission and the agitating dasher mechanisms are eliminated, thus providing a less expensive and more trouble free machine than the conventional washing or drying machine having either or both these mechanisms.

A further object of this invention is to provide a washing machine (the term washing machine as hereinafter used meaning either or both a clothes washing machine or a clothes dry cleaner machine, the liquid being either water or a conventional dry cleaning liquid) where a motor may operate continuously, without a multi-speed transmission, to impel the washing liquid through the clothes, or, after draining the liquid, will automatically rotate the clothes basket at a suitable speed to spin or centrifuge the clothes in the basket.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gear shift transmission-free and agitator-free clothes washing or cleaning machine wherein there is a rotating clothes basket which fioats within a liquid container tub to disengage a clutch mechanism between the basket and a rotating means, and which, when the liquid is drained, automatically engages a clutch to clutch the basket to the rotating means to spin or centrifuge the contents of the basket.

A further object of this invention is to provide a clothes washing machine wherein a liquid impeller impels Wash water or cleaning liquid upwardly through the bottom of a clothes basket to agitate the clothes and wash or clean the clothes, and atthe same time, causes a slow rotation of the clothes basket thus assisting in the agitating and washing of the clothes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a clothes washing machine wherein a multi-speed motor cooperates with a clutch operated by the presence or absence of liquid to declutch or clutch the basket to the motor, whereby a timer control runs an impeller at one speed of the motor while the liquid is present, and when the liquid is drained, may run the motor at a different speed suitable for rinsing purposes, without the presence of a conventional gear shift mechanism.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide clutch mechanism for a washing machine which is engaged to operatively connect the motor to the basket by the act of emptying the liquid in the tub, and which is disengaged to disconnect the basket from the motor by the act of delivering liquid into the tub.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a clothes washing machine wherein the washing act is performed by a liquid impeller through a vaned open botitom to slowly rotate the basket and simultaneously agitate the water and clothes in the basket, without the presence of any conventional agitator or dasher.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the washing machine showing the details of this invention, on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

ICC

FiG. 3 is a bottom plan view or" the clothes basket, on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the impeller, on line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the clutch housing, on an enlarged scale. y

FlG. 6 is an enlarged plan View of the timer control switch.

FG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view through the clutch housing, on line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

There is shown at iti the washing or cleaning machine of this invention. This machine includes a plurality of vertical side Walls 12 to the inside of which is secured, in any conventional, leakproof manner, a horizontal loor i4 thereby dividing the machine into an upper stationary liquid container tub 16 and a lower mechanism compartment 18. The front vertical wall may be provided with a transparent window Ztl into the tub 16, thus making the liquid level therein visible, and a door 22 providing convenient access to the mechanism compartment. Access to the upper tub is provided by a tub cover 24 supported on a ledge 26 on inwardly extending upper flanges 2S of the walls 12, thus providing access to the open top of a spinnable clothes basket 30.

This basket 3@ is provided with side walls 32 preferably in the form of a cylinder which is perforated throughout as shown at 34, and has a solid bottom 36 in which is a central opening 38. A spider 459 consisting of a plurality of concentric rings 42 on a plurality of radially extending vanes 44 is secured to the basket bottom 3d across its opening 38, and in turn is supported by a cap plate 52 and secured on a shaft 45. As shown by the arrows 46, water or other liquid present may enter through the bottom opening 38 into the basket, impinging against the spider vanes 42., which have sides at such an angle to the flow of the liquid that a moment of rotation is provided thereon causing the basket to rotate slowly, when it is free to do so, as will hereinafter become apparent, and the liquid tiowing thereby into the basket 30 will iiow in a turbulent manner to agitate the clothes within the basket 30, without the presence of a conventional agitator or dasher. The turbulence of the liquid will be increased by liquid being pumped from the bottom of the tub 1d through a bypass pipe 4S through the floor 14 over and into the open top of the basket Sti, a lint filter Sti being mounted on the end of bypass pipe 48 to lilter lint from the wash or cleaner liquid.

The shaft 45, which is securely fastened by the cap plate 52 at its top end to .the spider vanes 44, extends down through a sleeve 54 through a le-akproof bushing 55, int-o a clutch housing 56 in the lower compartment 13, the clutch housing 56 being securely fastened to the bottom of the sleeve 54. The sleeve 54 extends down through a leakproof bushing 58 extending through the tub floor 14. The shaft 45 may be rotated freely within the sleeve 54, and in turn, the sleeve 54 may be rotated freely within the tub floor bushing 58. On the top end lof the sleeve 54, there is rmly secured an itmpe'ller 60 provided with a plurality of radially extending impeller vanes 62, the angle of the impeller vanes d2 relative t-o the angle `of the sides of the spider vanes 44 being such that .liquid impelled by the impeller 62 striking the sides of the spider vanes 44 will strike the spider vanes 44 on one of their relatively vertical sides, and not on the other relatively vertical side, thus providing a moment of rotation thereto and thus to the basket 30 to rotate the basket 30 slowly when it is free to rotate.

The clutch housing 56 is supported for rotation on a bearing 64 mounted in a base e6 supported on a cornpartment oor d8 which in turn is resihently supported on a plurality of springs based on ears 712 conventionally anais? secured, as by spot welding, on the inner sides of the vertical walls 12, adjacent bottom fanges 74 to which conventional -washing machine feet 76 are adjustably secured by nuts 78. Also secured to the compartment floor 68, in 'any suitable manner, is -a multi-speed electrical motor 80 having a shaft S2 provided with a small pulley 84 on which is provided a pulley belt 86 operatively connecting it to a large :pulley 88 xedly secured on the clutch housing 56. The pulley belt also operatively connect-s the motor .80 to a pulley 90 on the shaft 92 of a liquidpump 94 having drain pipe 96 through the oor 14' of tub-16, fthe pump 94 leading to the discharge pipe 98 past a solenoid controlled drain valve 100, the bypass pipe 48 Ibeing connected to the discharge pipe 98 on the pump ysi-de of solenoid controlled drain valve i).

A liquid supply pipe 102 supplying the liquid through the open top of the -basket .30 passes through a bushing 4in the tub floor .14 from the compartment 18 Where it is connected to hot and coldliquid pipes 164 and 106 through solen-oid `controlled valves 108 and 1105 A timer control switch 1-112, mounted on the back panel 114, is connected in a .conventional manner to the conventional float level switch 116, an-d to the different speeds of the motor 80, to the solenoid control-led drain valve 160, and through a conventional thermostat 118 to the solenoid controlled valves 108 and 110.

The clutch housing 56 is provided with a lower horizontal clutch face .120 provided vwith a plurality of angular clutch teeth 122, a suitableiangle on the engaging side of the .teeth being approximately 60.

Biased upwardly from the lower clutch face 120 by a spring 124 of suitable strength is a thrust bearing126 supporting an upper, horizontal confronting clutch face 128 provided with similar angular clutch teeth 130, the lower clutch teeth 122 and the upper elutc'h'teeth 130 being arranged in Aa circle of Fthe same radius about the center of the clutch'faces so that when the .upper-clutch face128 approaches the lower clutch face 120 against the bias of the spring 124, the4 clutch teeth engage and cause the clutch faces to rotate as a unit.

The upper clutch face 12S is fixedly secured on the lower end of basket supporting shaft 45, whichshaft 45 is journaled in a bearing 13.2 for limited vertical travel at the bottom of the sleeve 54.

In operation, the motor 8), the solenoid controlled valvesl, 1% and 116, the level switch 116 and the thermostat .1118 are all connected by suitable conduits,

shown in frgament leading from each element, to suiti' able timer segments on the timer control switch 112,4

which is operated in a conventional manner by a synchr-cnous motor, The details of such a timer switch and its circuitry are conventional, and hence need not be here shown in detail.

When the switch 112. .is first turned on to the wash" cycle after the clothes have been placed in the basket 30,.'

The spring 1124 betweenthe clutch faces `is of such strength that it will support the basket 30 and its contents when the tub 16 is fullof liquid, thus keeping the clutch faces disengaged, but when the tub has been drained o-f liquid, the weight of the basket and the Weight of the contents is greater than the strength of the spring 124, thus .permitting the basket to push the sh'aft 4S downL and cause the clutch faces and teeth to engage.

As the motor 80 lrotates at the wash-'speed with the clutch faces 120 and 128 disengaged, the impeller `60 on the sleeve 54 causes the liquid to travel as shown by the arrows 46 through the vaned spider 40 through the basi ket bottom opening 38 into the basket 30, creating turbulence within the basket 131i and yagitating 'and thus Washing or cleaning the clothes. The clutch faces 120 and 12S being disengaged, the liquid impinges on the vanes 44 of the spider 38 and causes a suitable slow rotation of the basket 30.

Meantime, the solenoid controlled drain valve 100 is maintained in closed position, and the .pump 84 operated by t'he same pulley belt 86, pumps liquid from the pipe 96 4from'the bottom of the tub 16 up `through the bypass line 43 and through the lint lter 5l) back into the basket, thus increasing the turbulence ran-d the cleaning effect.

Wnen the wash cycle is finished, the solenoid controlled drain valve 100 is opened, so that the liquid is `thereby pumped out through the discharge pipe 98 tocompletely empty the tub 16. As the tub empties, the basket sinks down to cause the clutch Vteeth on the. clutch faces to engageyand the Vtimer changes the speedof the motor 80 to -a speed suitable for spinning or centrifuging the `contents .of the .basket 30. The timer then continues to the ll cycle, with liquid coming in through the supply pipe 1192,1until it is cut olf by the float level switch 116. As the .wate1iiSes,` the spring 124 disengages the clutch faces, the rinse cycle takes place, the speed of the motor being again changed -to a speed suitable for impelling the water through opening '38 in the basket bottom 36, and also cau-sing slow rotation of the basketthe same as in the wash cycle. After ya suitable period of rinsing, the drain valve 11N)V is again opened, the liquid discharges, and the motor speed is changed to a speed suitable forcentrifuging or spinning the clothes, for the clutch facesare again engaged. Then,r after a .suitable period of spinning or centrifuging, the timer cuts off the power to the motor 80 and the cleaning is completed. The motor 80 thus operates continuously from the moment it is rst turned o-n by the initial action of the float level switch until it is cut olf at the end of the cleaning operation, but its speed is changed as desirable between .the wash cycle and first spin or centrifuge. cycle,ethen again'at the rinse cycle, then again at the second spin or centrifuge style, and then cut olf .at the completion.4

Although this .inventionhfas been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope ofthe invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thu-s set fort-h the nature of this invention, what .is claimed is:

1. .A washing machine comprising enclosing vertical side walls and a horizontal floor secured to said vertical side wallsintermediate their top and bottom ends4 providing an upper stationary liquid container tub and a lower Vmechanism compartment, a vertical sleeve journaled through said horizontal iloor in leakproof relationship thereto, a liquid impeller comprisingr radially extending angular vanes xed on the top of said vertical sleeve within .said liquid containerk tub, a clutch housing secured on the'bottom endof said sleeve within said mechanism compartment,` a motor in said mechanism compartment operatively'connected to said clutch housing, a horizontal bottom clutch face Xed in said clutch housing, a confronting upper horizontal clutch face in said housing, yieldable means between said faces biasing said upper clutch face toward disengaged position above and away from said bottom clutch-face, a shaft, secured to said upper` clutch face, extending through said `sleeve in leakproof relationship thereto, into said stationary liquid containertub., basket supporting vanes secured to and extending radially from the top end of said shaft above said impeller vanes, an open top basket, having an opening in its bottom, secured to said shaftby said shaft vanes with said basket bottom opening over said impeller vanes and shaft vanes, meansrfor delivering liquid 'into said liquid container tub, means for drainingthe liquid from said liquid container tub, said yieldable biasing means maintaining clutch disengagement while lthere is liquid in said container tub and permitting clutch engagement when the liquid has been drained, said basket having perforated side walls, said impeller vanes circulating liquid through said basket support vanes, the angular relationship of said impeller vanes and said basket support varies being such that the liquid circulated through said support vanes provides a rotational effect to said basket when said clutch faces are disengaged, said clutch faces being disengaged by said biasing means when said basket and its contents are partially iloated by the liquid delivered into said container tub, said clutch faces being engaged when the liquid in said tub is drained therefrom, whereby while said motor is rotating, the contents of said basket are agitated and said basket is rotated by the liquid entering the basket bottom, and, when the liquid is drained, said basket is spun to centrifuge the contents as said motor continues to rotate.

2. The washing machine of claim l, and bypass means connecting said drain means to the open top of said basket.

3. The washing machine of claim 2, and lint iilter means intermediate said bypass means and said basket.

4. The Washing machine of claim 2 and a liquid pump in said drain means, said liquid pump being operatively connected to said motor.

5. The washing machine of claim l and means operatively connecting said motor to said pump means and said clutch housing comprising a pulley operatively mounted on said motor, a pulley on said clutch housing, a pulley operatively mounted on said drain pump, and pulley belt means operatively connecting said motor pulley to said housing pulley and said pump pulley.

The washing machine of claim l, and a base, means resiliently supporting said base on said mechanism compartment side walls, and bearing means supporting said clutch housing on said base.

'7. The washing machine of claim 6, and bearing means interposed between said resilient biasing means and one or" said clutch faces, and bearing means between said shaft and said sleeve.

S. The washing machine of claim 4, and valve means in said drain means intermediate said bypass means and the discharge end of said drain means.

9. The washing machine of claim u, said drain valve means being a solenoid controlled valve means, solenoid controlled liquid admittance valve means in said fluid delivery means, and a timer control switch for said motor and said solenoid controlled delivery and drain valve means.

lil. The washing machine of claim l, said motor being a multispeed motor, in combination with a timer control switch, said switch controlling the motor to run at one speed when liquid is present and the clothes basket clutch is disengaged, and at a different speed When the liquid is absent and the clothes basket clutch is engaged to centrifuge the clothes in the basket.

lll. The washing machine of claim ll, said motor being a multispeed motor, solenoid controlled valves in said liquid delivery means and said liquid discharge means, in combination with a timer control switch for selectively operating said solenoid controlled valves and said motor to run said motor at one speed after delivering liquid into said container tub, thereby disengaging the clutch, to impel the liquid through the basket bottom opening, and, after discharging the liquid from said tub, thereby engaging the clutch, to run said motor at a different speed to centrifuge the contents of the basket.

l2. A clothes washing machine comprising a stationary tub having a door, a side perforated spin basket, said basket having a liquid entrance opening at the center of its bottom, a vaned spider across said basket bottom opening, a shaft secured to said spider, a sleeve journaled through said tub floor, a vaned impeller on said sleeve beneath said varied spider basket opening, said shaft being journaled through said sleeve, confronting horizontal clutch faces, the upper face being secured to said shaft beneath said floor, the lower face being secured to said sleeve, yieldable means biasing said clutch faces into separated, disengaged position when liquid is' present in said stationary tub, said yieldable means permitting clutch face engagement when said tub is drained of liquid, and rotating means operatively connected to said sleeve lower clutch face, whereby said rotating means rotates said impeller to direct liquid through said vaned spider into said basket to provide a rotating force to said basket while washing the contents therein, the liquid iloating said basket to disengage said clutch faces, and when the liquid is drained therefrom, said clutch faces are engaged and said sleeve rotates said basket to centrifuge the contents therein.

lll. The clothes washing machine of claim l2, said rotating means comprising a two speed electric motor, in combination with a timer control switch, said switch controlling the motor to run at one speed when liquid is present and the clothes basket clutch is disengaged, and at a ditferent speed when the liquid is absent and the clothes basket clutch is engaged to centrifuge the clothes in the basket.

14. The clothes washing machine of claim l2, means for delivering liquid to said tub, means for discharging liquid from said tub, separate solenoid controlled valve means in each said liquid delivery and discharge means, said rotating means comprising a multispeed motor, in

combination with a timer control switch for selectively operating said solenoid controlled valves and said motor to run said motor at 'one speed after delivering liquid into said container tub, thereby disengaging the clutch, to impel the liquid through the basket bottom opening, and, after discharging the liquid from said tub, thereby engaging the clutch, to run said motor at a different speed to centrifuge the contents of the basket.

l5. The clothesl washing machine of claim ld, and a bypass means in said liquid discharge means leading into the open top of the basket, lint filter means between said bypass and said basket, and a pump in said discharge means operatively connected to said motor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,498,734 2/50 Bozanich 68--152 X 3,062,031 ll/62 Balik 68-151 X 3,116,626 1/ 64 Moschetti et al. 68-23 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,968 6/ 55 Altorfer et al. 2,733,610 2/56 Lodge. 3,057,480 10/62 Poole. 3,062,031 ll/62 Balik. 3,076,349 2/ 63 Williams et al.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Examiner. 

12. A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING A STATIONARY TUB HAVING A FLOOR, A SIDE PERFORATED SPIN BASKET, SAID BASKET HAVING A LIQUID ENTRANCE OPENING AT THE CENTER OF ITS BOTTOM, A VANED SPIDER ACROSS SAID BASKET BOTTOM OPENING, A SHAFT SECURED TO SAID SPIDER, A SLEEVE JOURNALED THROUGH SAID TUB FLOOR, A VANED IMPELLER ON SAID SLEEVE BENEATH SAID VANED SPIDER BASKET OPENING, SAID SHAFT BEING JOURNALED THROUGH SAID SLEEVE, CONFRONTING HORIZONTAL CLUTCH FACES, THE UPPER FACE BEING SECURED TO SAID SHAFT BENEATH SAID FLOOR, THE LOWER FACE BEING SECURED TO SAID SLEEVE YIELDABLE MEANS BIASING SAID CLUTCH FACES INTO SEPARATED, DISENGAGED POSITION WHEN LIQUID IS PRESENT IN SAID STATIONARY TUB, SAID YIELDABLE MEANS PERMITTING CLUTCH FACE ENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID TUB IS DRAINED OF LIQUID, AND ROTATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SLEEVE LOWER CLUTCH FACE, WHEREBY SAID ROTATING MEANS ROTATES SAID IMPELLER TO DIRECT LIQUID THROUGH SAID VANED SPIDER INTO SAID BASKET TO PROVIDE A ROTATING FORCE TO SAID BASKET WHILE WASHING THE CONTENTS THEREIN, THE LIQUID FLOATING SAID BASKET TO DISENGAGE SAID CLUTCH FACES, AND WHEN THE LIQUID IS DRAINED THEREFROM, SAID CLUTCH FACES ARE ENGAGED AND SAID SLEEVE ROTATES SAID BASKET TO CENTRIFUGE THE CONTENTS THEREIN. 